


ferdibert week 2020

by asterscadenza



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mermaid AU/Confessions, Nightmares/Dreams, Poison, Spellcasting, Sun/Moon - Freeform, Time Travel, YES BETA WE LIVE UNLIKE GLENN
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:13:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25809418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asterscadenza/pseuds/asterscadenza
Summary: ━ tw : mentions of drowning.hope you like it!
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Kudos: 17





	ferdibert week 2020

**Author's Note:**

> ━ tw : mentions of drowning.
> 
> hope you like it!

Brigid is an archipelago formed by five islands, each one with its own charisma. Its subtropical climate and unique flora and fauna make this cluster of islands a place well known as one of the best vacation spots around the world.

It is also the place where Brigid University is located, whose prestige even competes with the universities within Fódlan. It is situated on the central island, a few minutes away from the capital, upon a not too tall cliff. Beneath the cliff is the Are Nas beach, famous among the students as a place to rest and relax in. Brigid’s warmth makes every day of the year enjoyable, and the ocean’s waves lull to sleep those who can’t manage to rest properly during the night.

The trip from the airport to the university passes through the capital. It is the perfect journey for those who come from other countries allowing the tourists to contemplate the nature of the island. Green covered almost everything, spattered with flowers that brought more color to the landscape. It is said that visiting Brigid — whatever the reason to come may be — is an incomparable and unrepeatable experience; it doesn’t matter how many times one travels there, each time is different, each time is an opportunity to try new things.

Unfortunately, Hubert couldn’t enjoy his first time in this paradise on earth, considering that he had his eyes shut close. He regretted the moment he gave up to Edelgard the steering wheel of the red van they had rented to go to the campus — they had been exactly 30 minutes in the road, but it was as if they have been driving for years. No matter how much he loved her, it was undeniable that her driving skills were lacking in… Just lacking, in general. He was sure that the brunette had thrown her sense of traffic safety out the window as soon as she sat in the driver’s seat. She seemed quite fond of ignoring the speed limit, dangerous as it was. Didn’t she consider the risk of an accident? If that happened, he, who sat in the front passenger seat, would take the worst out of it… She wasn’t more careful when driving around curves, either. She did it in such a rough way that not even the seatbelt could prevent his body from waggling brusquely, which made him feel like a puppet of sorts.

Luckily for him, he was more or less accustomed to the antics of his best friend when she drove. The key was closing his eyes and trying to ignore everything around him, or paying attention only to the music that may play on the radio. Ironically, the melody that was playing this time was calm, with soft vocals. It was almost comical, although the other people inside the vehicle didn’t look like they agreed with that statement.

For the whole trek, each time his shoulders struck the person at his side, he could sense the man tremble. And once he opened his eyes, he could confirm it. Poor Caspar was trying to keep calm, squeezing the seatbelt between his hands as though his life depended on it. Occasionally he could be heard trying to suppress a groan, especially when the van took a curve. Despite being so easily frightened, he tried his best to maintain his tough-guy image — no one fell for it, but... — as well as he could. When Hubert turned his head towards the other side, he saw that the driver looked collected, with her eyes fixed on the road.

Crossing one leg over the other, he stared at the rear mirror. Dorothea and Ferdinand, who loved talking — and singing — so much during road trips, were completely silent. The woman was holding on to the redhead’s arm, with her nails clawing at him through the fabric of his jacket. Ferdinand didn’t seem to have the guts to say something about it, so he simply looked ahead, probably wishing to arrive soon. At his other side was Bernadetta, also holding on to him. Like Caspar, she was trembling, but that wasn’t strange in her. She has always been anxious and fearful. Just thinking about how she must be suffering now caused a sad feeling to emerge in Hubert’s chest. He always had a soft spot for her, after all.

Silence prevailed, only broken by Caspar’s groans and the car’s engine. It wasn’t until they reached a sharp bend that Edelgard took harshly that someone dared to speak for the first time since they left the airport.

“Are we close?” It was Dorothea. She tried to make her voice sound as cheerful as possible, so her fear would not be so obvious. Edelgard didn’t seem to recognize the fakeness in her voice. Too concentrated on driving, perhaps.

“According to the GPS, we’ll arrive in a quarter of an hour.”

“Well, it’s true that the University is already visible…” Hubert added, trying to give a bit of hope to his friends.

Silence again. Another temerarious curve made a conversation pop again, this time thanks to Bernadetta. She had been mute the whole journey but didn’t hesitate to shout once she reached her limit.

“WE ARE GOING TO DIE.”

“H-Hey, don’t scream like that! You are gonna scare Dorothea!” Caspar replied to his friend’s screech, as Ferdinand rubbed his ear, having suffered more than anyone with the sudden outburst from the shorter one.

“I-I am not scared, actually,” Dorothea herself answered back, but anyone with eyes could see she was lying.

“Yes, you aAAAAAAAAAAA-”

The blue-haired man’s sentence turned into a scream when Edelgard stepped hard on the brake. The vehicle had reached a traffic light, which forced Edelgard to stop, at least until the light turned green again.

“Can someone explain why are you all screaming?” she said as she turned towards them, confusion clear in her eyes.

No one seemed daring enough to tell her the truth, even if it would cost them their lives. It was Ferdinand who finally spoke, but in a soft way.

“Edel, could you go a little bit slower? I think Bernadetta is getting sick because of the speed.”

It was evident that the lilac-eyed woman had not heard Bernadetta’s yell. Or rather, she heard it but didn’t discern what was said. She raised an eyebrow at Ferdinand’s words before she looked at the road again. The traffic light was green.

“And why are you saying it now? We are almost there.”

“Well, she has a point...” Hubert said, closing his eyes once again. With his arms crossed, he felt the increase in speed as soon as his friend pushed the accelerator to the floor. Since their attempt to get Edelgard to respect the speed limit failed, all they could do was keep quiet and wait until reaching their destination.

Fortunately for them, they arrived at the university’s parking safe and sound, although Caspar’s face looked greener with every second. For a moment, Hubert feared the other one could vomit the breakfast he ate at the airport over his pants, but they parked before such a thing could happen.

They got out of the van as quickly as they could. Ferdinand had to gently shake Bernadetta, who had detached herself from reality and got lost in her own mind to run away from the anxiety caused by the possibility of an accident, to the point she ended up falling asleep. As soon as she woke up and recalled where she was, she jumped from her seat to the outside of the vehicle, the fresh air delighting her.

While the more affected by the trip started to recover thanks to the sea breeze, Hubert, Ferdinand, and Edelgard headed to the trunk. Anyone who saw that scene without the necessary context would think they were carrying a dead body in that van. The reality was very different: they were seven people, and the vehicle had not enough seats for all of them. Thus, one had volunteered to get into the trunk, the one who now lied on top of their bags.

“How is he sleeping?...” Ferdinand’s voice conveyed a blend of worry and awe, the second more clear when the red-haired man leaned forward slightly to take a better look at his friend.

“Remember that we are talking about Linhardt, Ferdinand. Help me get him out of there, he is clearly not going to do it on his own,” Edelgard stated.

Hubert didn’t move, only observed how the other two contrived to take the human sloth out from his bed made of luggage.

“You could help.”

He didn’t even bother to exchange glances with the young man who had just reprimanded him, merely smirking in his characteristic way.

“I’d rather watch you do the dirty work.”

Regardless of what he just said, he started to pick up some of their belongings. Caspar joined him in a matter of seconds, now looking more energetic and less green. He had to tell the shorter man to be more careful with their things, but he didn’t seem to pay attention to him, not until Hubert mentioned how angry Dorothea would be if Caspar negligently broke anything of hers. From that point on, he handled the baggage with a little more care, even if not as much as one would want him to. They were still doing this when the last member of their group arrived.

“I did not have the expectation of you arriving this early.”

“Believe me, neither did we,” Linhardt said from the ground, where they had left him. He had been awake since one of them stepped on him by accident, but he still didn’t seem to have any intention of standing up.

“Do not dare to talk, Lin. You had been asleep for the entire journey,” the green-eyed woman remarked, after putting two sports bags on his shoulders. Dorothea was not a fan of exercise — just like Hubert — but sports bags were a practical and easy way to carry clothes and other belongings.

“And how I wish I was asleep right now…”

“Your baggage will not carry itself on its own. Get up.” Edelgard said once they picked up all the bags. She approached the man on the ground and grabbed him under his arms to make him stand up, almost as if he weighed the same as a feather.

“Wow, Edie, you are so… Strong.”

Ferdinand seemed to agree with his best friend’s declaration, nodding energetically. Edelgard and Ferdinand had been attending the same gym for half a year now, and one of the _dramatic _parts of studying in Brigid was the possibility of not finding a gym as good as the former one. Luckily for them, Petra solved their ridiculous problem when she recommended the place she went to. Her trainer was from Fódlan, which removed any potential communication problems.__

____

____

“It’s not as if I was heavy,” was all Linhardt could add before letting out a yawn.

“You should eat more, Linhardt!” replied Caspar, who was currently trying to find the most efficient way to carry his baggage and part of Dorothea’s.

“S-Shouldn’t we get going?”

After all that conversation, Bernadetta made an appearance again. Although she still looked a bit troubled, Hubert could tell from her body language that she was getting over the car ride. That was a relief, even if he would not admit that aloud.

“Are you needing help with the luggage?” Petra asked, with a smile on her lips. Willing to help, as always.

“We are going to different dormitories, so each one should carry their own things…” Hubert answered. He turned his gaze to Caspar. “At least, most of us.”

“Wait, I thought you and Caspar were going to different dormitories.” Ferdinand turned towards Dorothea, who didn’t take long to answer.

“He will carry my things as far as he can, then it will be Hilda’s turn to carry them~.”

“And how did you get Hilda to agree to that?”

“Ah, Ferdie, a woman has her secrets.”

Edelgard looked frankly amused and interested in the conversation between her two friends, but kept quiet. After Petra’s explanation about how to go to their respective dorms and a brief farewell, each group departed from each other. Bernadetta, who was his new roommate, held on to Hubert’s arm in the blink of an eye. At her other side walked Edelgard, who had grabbed the sleeve of Linhardt’s jacket to force him to get going. Ferdinand placed himself at Hubert’s left side, yet keeping a cautious distance between them.

… It was better that way, so he said nothing to him.

As Petra had told them, the roads had a good amount of signs, written in both the language of Brigid and the one of Fódlan. With that many signs, one really had to be foolish to get lost. And even in that case, there were enough students along the campus to ask for help.

“Our dormitory is the closest to the sea,” the redhead mentioned, his voice filled with happiness and almost a hint of nostalgia. As long as Hubert has known him, Ferdinand has always loved the sea, probably because he grew up near the coast. He used to talk about how much he enjoyed searching for shells, soaking his feet in the seashore and playing in the sand. Neither Hubert nor Edelgard needed to hear that, they had seen it with their own eyes every time they visited for holidays the city where Ferdinand lived,

He never mentioned that he also used to run on the rocks, or how many times he got bitten by one of the crabs he liked to bother. But how could they forget that? Ferdinand admitted they were funny memories, even if he never told them to anyone else.

“I-It’s relatively close to the cliff, yes— Oh, what if the cliff collapses and we die?”

“It is not going to collapse, Bernadetta,” Hubert said, trying to comfort his friend. In the eyes of someone who could not discern his worry behind his cold voice tone, he could seem to be saying it just out of politeness. 

“Hubert is right. We’ll be fine. Besides, you like the sound of the waves, don’t you?” Edelgard added.

“It’s comforting, yes…”

“Then you should be happy you got to be this close to the sea.”

“...What’s so comforting about the sound of a huge mass of water crashing into— Ouch.”

Linhardt’s sentence was interrupted when the brown-haired woman hit his shoulder. Hubert could not see her expression from where he stood, but he could guess she had dedicated the man one of her gazes. They weren’t as deadly as his, but effective nonetheless.

“We are nearly there. You can almost see the rim of the cliff.” Ferdinand still looked enthusiastic, but Hubert could not share the sentiment. The mere thought of living in an elevated place made him feel a weird sensation in his stomach.

“Ah, yes! Y-You and Yuri are roommates, right?”

Bernadetta’s question made him dizzier than the cliff itself. Trying to keep an unaffected front, he tried to ignore the way Edelgard’s eye fixed on his face as if she was demanding an explanation for something. She did not expect that, that’s for sure.

“Right… He is waiting for me, in fact. I think he is about to go out with his friends, but he does not want to leave me outside the room, obviously.”

“Probably because it’s almost night,” Hubert tried to change the subject towards something less… awkward for him. 

He didn’t even need to keep talking, because they finally reached the building in question. It looked like a normal building, with nothing special about it, but maybe he thought that due to his nonexistent knowledge about architecture. The building had tall stone walls; it had been undoubtedly built to contain the highest possible number of rooms.

They entered through the main entry and, much to Linhardt’s misfortune, went upstairs. They separated then since Edelgard and Linhardt’s room was on an upper floor than theirs. Shortly after, Hubert and Bernadetta said goodbye to Ferdinand and, four room doors later, they reached their own, the one that would be their “home” during their first year at university.

They spent the rest of the evening deciding which bed will each of them occupy and unpacking and placing all their belongings around the room. It was fun to tease his friend while she hanged a cartoon poster, especially when she reacted by saying that if she asked him to be her roommate was not to hear critics about her interests.

When they were both finished, it was already 11 pm. Bernadetta didn’t seem to have any intention of going to sleep yet, since she had been sitting at her desk for what must have been an hour now, in front of her laptop and typing without a pause. She surely wasn’t planning to stop any soon, but Hubert would appreciate it if she took a few minutes to rest, at least. He was about to comment on it, trying to sound as unconcerned about her wellbeing as possible, but he was interrupted even before he started talking by his phone ringing.

He would have complained about the call, but when he saw Edelgard’s name on the screen, he couldn’t help getting up from the bed and going outside, to the hall, not without closing the door behind himself.

“Yes?”

“ _Are you already settled? _”__

____

__

“Yes. I’ve just finished tidying up the closet when you called.”

“ _Ah… I’m still doing exactly that, actually... _”__

____

____

“And Linhardt?”

“ _It’s his fault that I’m not finished yet, you know? He wanted to leave everything in the bags and just take something out when he needed it. _”__

____

____

A slight smile formed on his lips after hearing that. Yes, that sounded like something Linhardt would say (and do).

“And you decided to help him?”

“ _Yes, but I didn’t expect him to have that many clothes. I don’t even know how he managed to put everything inside two bags… _”__

____

____

“He is good at both planning and organizing. At least regarding these things.”

“ _Remember me to ask him for help the next time we travel. I’m the worst at this. _”__

____

____

“Nonsense, you cannot be worse than Caspar. His brilliant technique consists in making a ball with his clothes and throwing it inside the suitcase.”

He could hear a soft laugh at the other end of the phone.

“ _He really did that? _”__

____

____

“You didn’t hear it from me.”

“ _He is truly incorrigible... In any case, I have something to ask you, Hubert. _”__

____

____

“Is it how I pack my clothes?”

“ _Oh, don’t be silly… No, it’s not about that. _”__

____

____

“Then?...”

He suddenly recalled the look Edelgard had given him hours ago, when Bernadetta asked about Ferdinand’s roommate. He rested his back against the door and lowered his voice — even more, since he was already talking quietly in order not to disturb anyone’s sleep. The hall was empty, but he wanted to be sure that no one heard that conversation, anyways.

“ _I thought you were going to share the room with Ferdinand. _”__

____

____

There it was. Hubert should have expected her to start this conversation, but he had hoped that she would have forgotten about it.

“Yes, I was. In past tense.”

“ _May I ask why? _”__

____

____

“I don’t know.”

“ _What? _”__

____

____

“I said I don’t know. He changed his mind and decided to share a room with Yuri. And then Bernadetta asked me if I was free.”

“ _Huh. _”__

____

____

“This arrangement is for the better either way. Bernadetta and I have a similar sleep schedule.”

“ _If you mean neither of you sleeps at all, then you’re right. _”__

____

____

“Make fun of me as much as you want, but it’s true.”

“ _Oh, Hubert… You are letting this situation get into your head, aren’t you? _”__

____

____

He had not noticed until he heard those words, but he had been squeezing the fabric of his own black sweater since Edelgard changed the initial subject. Neither had he noticed the way his voice sounded colder now, or how the smile he had on his lips when he picked up the call had now turned into an irritated grimace. He acknowledged this now, and Edelgard was right. But he wasn’t ready to admit it.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“ _Hubert… _”__

____

____

“What?”

“ _There must be a logical reason for Ferdinand to change his mind, don’t you think so? _”__

____

____

“...”

“ _Hubert. _”__

____

____

“If he doesn’t want to tell me, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter. But that he didn’t even give me an excuse...”

“ _He probably didn’t want to lie to you. _”__

____

____

“As if he could do such a thing. He is way too honest to lie.”

“ _Hm. You sound more annoyed than you are willing to admit, but, still, you find a way to compliment him. _”__

____

____

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

“ _Yes, it was. I know it’s easier said than done, but… Don’t worry about it too much. You both are still friends. You can’t let this ruin everything that you… no, that we had been through together. _”__

____

____

“...I’m going to sleep.”

This time, he heard a sigh.

“ _Good night, Hubert. _”__

____

____

It was evident that she didn’t believe him.

“Good night, Edelgard.”

But neither of them said a thing about it. He let her be the one who hung up, then took a few minutes to think about what they had just talked about. He wasn’t angry with Ferdinand, far from that. How could he, if changing one’s mind was a common thing? But why did he feel that their dynamic had changed too, then? Maybe it was just his impression, considering that the redhead had said nothing. He was probably making way more out of this than he needed to.

...But what if Ferdinand had not given him a reason because he was afraid of hurting his feelings? What if he had got the wrong idea and Ferdinand didn’t really enjoy his company? In that case, the best thing he could do was… treating him like he would treat any other friend. He couldn’t just ignore him, but he could avoid giving him excessive attention.

When he entered the room, he saw Bernadetta closing her laptop. It seemed like his call with Edelgard had lasted more than expected, considering the late hour. After sitting on his bed, he decided that he should really go to sleep. After all, he wouldn’t be able to rest properly when the school year started, within a few weeks, especially with his tendency to stay up late for studying more.

Hubert didn’t think of the room as his own yet, but that didn’t prevent him from falling asleep after some hours of tossing and turning under the sheets. At least, he was grateful that his sleep was not disturbed by images of copper locks framing a face covered in freckles.

* * *

There was a flaw in his plan — it was nearly impossible not to pay attention to Ferdinand. He was too loud, too striking… Too _him _, to put it plainly.__

____

____

Besides, the fact that they went to the same building didn’t help either. Criminology and Politics shared department, and their schedules coincided most days, so they usually went together in the mornings. Fortunately for Hubert, Claude, who was in the same class as Ferdinand, accompanied them too. Although he didn’t consider Claude a friend, at least he was not, for example, Lorenz. If he had to walk with Lorenz every day at eight in the morning, he would jump off the cliff without giving it a second thought.

Claude could even be a moderately pleasant company, most of the time. At least, he kept Ferdinand entertained, removing from Hubert’s shoulders the obligation of striking up a conversation. Deep down, he hated that he couldn’t talk to him alone, though he was satisfied he had achieved the goal he set for himself.

And, of course, since he was satisfied, fate had to break his newborn peace. It all started the day he forgot his pen drive in his room. That wouldn’t be a problem if he didn’t have an exposition that day, first thing in the morning. He explained the situation to his companions and turned to go back to his dorm room when a hand suddenly grabbed his sleeve, forcing him to stay in place.

“Give me your things,” Ferdinand said. He didn’t know how to take that.

“Pardon?”

“You heard me. Give them to me, and I will wait for you at the school’s entrance. You do not have to carry everything all the way back if we do things that way.”

Hubert was about to tell him that it was unnecessary, that he was carrying only his laptop bag which was not heavy at all… But Ferdinand’s imploring gaze made his body and mind want to comply with it and escape from his eyes. So he just nodded and gave his bag to him. After that, he turned around once again, relieved when no hand stopped him this time.

What he didn’t foresee — because Ferdinand was becoming more and more difficult to read, which confirmed that his emotions were getting in the way of his observations — was that this event would become the beginning of a new routine. Each morning, the redhead carried Hubert’s stuff to class. And, after that, Hubert carried the other man’s things to the café where their group of friends gathered at mealtime. Sometimes, he even accompanied him to his room when the day ended.

None of this was unnoticed by Edelgard. During one random Saturday afternoon, the group met near the dormitory where most of them lived, a little bit far from the cliff. Linhardt decided to take a nap on the grass, using Caspar’s lap as his pillow. Petra sat a few meters away from them, with her gaze fixed in the sky. Bernadetta was reading a book about mermaid legends, apparently to gather information for what she was writing. Ferdinand and Dorothea chatted and laughed, as usual, and Edelgard and Hubert were the only ones who were on their feet, talking about nothing in particular.

“Ferdie, have you seen Cats?”

“Have I seen it? I honestly want to unsee it.”

They quickly erupted to laughter after that brilliant exchange of words, and Hubert couldn’t help but stare at the dimples that formed in the corner of Ferdinand’s lips.

“Hubert, can I ask you something?”

He forced himself to take his gaze away from him.

“I don’t know, can you?”

He received a soft punch on his shoulder for his response. After that, Edelgard leaned forward, as if she were about to murmur something. She indeed whispered a few seconds later, and Hubert didn’t know what to expect from her.

“Are you sure that you got over your crush on Ferdinand?”

Well, he for sure didn’t expect _that _.__

____

____

“Don’t mention that here.”

He checked that no one had noticed their sudden secretiveness, and, luckily, everyone seemed to be too focused on their own conversations. He heard Petra telling Bernadetta something about a cave on the beach, but honestly, he didn’t care about it.

“They can’t hear us, Hubert. Don’t try to avoid the subject.”

“I’m not—”

“You has liked him since that time when we were children. I know you haven’t forgotten.”

Ah, that time. It was a year when, during summer holidays, they followed Ferdinand to a modest wharf that was in the beach of his home city. The tide had just gone out, so the rocks that formed the ground near the wharf were still damp. Edelgard, who was awfully reckless as a kid, got too close to the edge of the pier despite their pleas to step back. Purely to go against them, she stepped forward, but slipped on the wet surface. In the blink of an eye, she fell to the sea, and Hubert, who had tried to stop her fall, was swept along with the girl.

Neither of them could swim, so they sunk very quickly. He still remembered how terrifying it was to feel his body going numb against his will, the way his vision became blurry… It was thanks to Ferdinand that they came out of that situation alive. as he instantly ran for help. It was then that he… started to like him, but he couldn’t tell if he still felt the same way.

“...I haven’t.”

“Claude told me that you always carry his stuff after class…”

“Claude?...”

“Yes, Claude. Don’t make that face as if you were planning to murder him, mister. I have seen it myself more than once.”

“And?”

“And both of you always sit next to each other at lunch.”

“He is the one who sits next to me.”

“...Don’t you think it’s because he likes you too?”

He stared at her in disbelief for several seconds.

“Have you been sleeping well lately, Edelgard? Because I think you’re delirious.”

“Listen to me you little—”

“Uhm.”

Whatever Edelgard was going to say was interrupted by Dorothea’s interjection. It seemed like the whole group had finally noticed their violent whispers and everyone, even Linhardt, was looking at them and waiting expectantly for an explanation.

“We were talking about… something.”

“Something that makes you two argue like that?” Ferdinand asked. He looked intrigued, to say the least. 

“W-Well, leaving that aside… Have you heard what we were saying?” Thank you for changing the topic, Bernadetta.

Edelgard and Hubert exchanged glances before answering in unison.

“No.”

“We were talking about going to the beach this night, but Ferdinand doesn’t want to,” Dorothea explained.

“He keeps saying that a storm is coming…” Linhardt added, before closing his eyes again.

“It is true that there are some dark claudes— clouds in the sky.”

“But that doesn’t mean that it will storm, Petra! I’m going.”

“I agree with Caspar. I don’t understand where that concern comes from, Ferdie.”

“You will remember my words when you end up getting soaked by the rain.”

He looked genuinely annoyed, considering how fast he started to collect his things. In response, Dorothea laughed for several seconds before calling him a _drama queen _. Hubert couldn’t help but agree at that statement, but he didn’t have the time to think about how accurate it was since Ferdinand’s movements caught his attention.__

____

____

The man had spent the last half hour lying face down in the grass, resting his weight in his elbows so he could write in that position. He had been finishing the draft of an assignment, for extra credit. Although he was a good student, he never missed opportunities like that one. Maybe he still was still the competitive kid that Hubert met when they were six.

It was an extremely mundane sight — crouching, and grabbing the pens that were scattered on the grass. And, still, he couldn’t look away from that view. It probably would take a long time before he admitted it aloud, but Ferdinand was the most attractive person he had ever met. It was evident that his beauty attracted many, and it chased Hubert even in dreams, no matter how much he wanted to impede it.

He was observing the way his bangs covered part of his face when he received a weak elbow on his side.

“Are you going to say that I’m delirious now?”

He looked away, hoping that the heat that he felt on his cheeks did not color them.

“Shut up.”

* * *

Going down to the beach wasn’t a pleasant experience, at least not for him. Though the cliff wasn’t too tall, any height meant dizziness for Hubert. No matter how stable the stairway towards the beach looked, he couldn’t suppress the impulse that made him grasp the handrail with all his might, as if it were the only thing that was keeping him away from a certain death. The feeling that emerged in his chest when he dared to look down was so violent and strong that he thought for a moment that he was going to faint.

Even if his body was screaming for him to stay in place, he managed to swallow his fear and keep going. It was a good thing that he decided to be the last one to go down, so no one could notice how much he hated heights.

When they finally reached the beach, he could observe that although the ground was mainly formed by rocks of different sizes, there were areas of black sand too. According to Petra’s explanation, they could see the sand thanks to the low tide — depending on the day and the state of the sea, sand could or could not appear at the beach. After a few hours of doing nothing, they persuaded him to go and explore the cave they had been talking about that same afternoon. He went along with it and followed his friends, then walked until the end of the beach, where the cave was, near the shore.

The cave’s entrance was narrow and low, to say the least — even Edelgard had to bend down a bit to enter. The inside was very different. It was a large space with a tall ceiling, so they weren’t at risk of hitting their heads once they had passed the entry. In the middle of the cave was a natural pool of seawater, presumably connected to the ocean by some kind submarine tunnel.

“It’s… quite romantic,” Dorothea said, entranced by the dim light from the outside that illuminated the walls and reflected in the water.

“And dangerous. We should be leaving when the tide has its rising. It would not be the first time that a person gets trapped in this place...” Petra commented.

“You mean the water blocks the exit? Oh, goddess…”

“Bernadetta, we’ll be okay. Don’t worry,” Edelgard assured her, although her face betrayed her. She was probably recalling that day on the wharf… She never wanted to learn how to swim after that.

“I have to admit this place is quite nice… It resembles the cave from one of the stories I read…”

“Of the book you were reading earlier?...” Linhardt asked, while he tried to separate Caspar from the pool in the middle of the cave. He obviously didn’t want him to fall in. 

“There exist some legends that have a relation to mermaids and this location, yes,” Petra confirmed.

“That reminds me that some guys from my class have been spreading a rumor about a mermaid that they supposedly saw… But you know how theatre kids are.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“Oh, Hubie, are you curious?”

“...Not really.”

“Well, they said they saw a mermaid tail a few nights ago… They described it in a very dramatic way. _Of a whitish purple color, with scales as shiny as pearls... _”__

____

____

“Whitish purple?”

“Yes, Petra. Do you remember the jacket Yuri was wearing last Friday? You said you liked that color.”

The one from Brigid seemed to understand now, since she nodded her head. Shortly after, she glanced at the exit of the cave and then headed toward it, telling the others to follow her. Apparently, the tide had started to rise and they had not noticed. Except for Ferdinand and Petra, none of his friends were familiar with how the ocean worked… It was truly something beautiful, unpredictable, and frightening in equal measure. They could see that for themselves when they left the cave and found the sea much rougher than before.

It was raining heavily, and the weather was getting worse with each second. The waves were crashing against the rocks and they could hear a thunder resound in the distance. Caspar let out a muffled shriek, terrified of storms as he was.

While the group climbed the stairs, Hubert remembered Ferdinand’s words. Petra had also guessed that it would rain, but only Ferdinand had discerned how turbulent the weather would be. Hubert lifted his gaze, fixing it in the endless blue of the ocean… and then, he saw something. The water was darker than usual due to the black clouds in the sky unleashing their wrath on them, but when a lighting illuminated the unstable surface of the sea for a mere moment, he could behold what was, without a shade of doubt, a mermaid tail. Its color differed completely from what Dorothea had described — either two similar creatures were inhabiting these waters, or that rumor was entirely false. This mermaid tail was of a bright, intense red, visible even in the dark of the night. That sight vanished before his eyes when the creature disappeared under the waves, but he stayed still, enchanted by what he had just seen. His best friend’s voice was what brought him back to reality, rushing him to keep climbing the stairs so they could protect themselves from the rain inside the dormitory.

He spent the rest of the night, once he had changed his clothes for dry ones, thinking about that crimson color. No flower, dye, or mineral that came to his mind were comparable to the beauty that shade of red possessed.

He couldn’t guess how long he had tried to use the raindrop’s song as a lullaby, but he heard the storm eventually ease. Unable to fall asleep after what he had seen, Hubert decided to go outside. He grabbed a long jacket, put a pair of tall, black boots on, and left the room, trying to be as silent as he could possibly be; he didn’t want to wake his roommate.

Somehow, he ended up outside the building. The fresh air and the sea breeze managed to calm his heart. After everything that happened that day, he couldn’t deny his feelings for Ferdinand, an issue he had considered solved until Edelgard pointed it out. She has always been the most intuitive of the two, after all.

While he walked away from the dorm, he thought about the times Ferdinand sat a little too close to him at lunch. Or when he insisted on carrying his things. Or when he felt the redhead looking at him and wasn’t able to pluck up the courage to meet his gaze. He didn’t want to think about any of this, but if he didn’t, his mind would come back to the supposed mermaid with the crimson tail he had seen hours ago. Maybe it had been only his imagination. He directed his eyes towards the sea, as if he was trying to recall that moment, nevertheless.

But a figure was standing in his line of vision, blocking the view. He narrowed his eyes and approached the person, who looked more and more familiar with each step he took.

“...Ferdinand?”

The aforementioned man seemed to recognize his voice and turned around to face him.

“Hubert? What are you doing awake at such an hour?”

He intended to answer, but the sight of Ferdinand illuminated by the light of the full moon distracted him from what he wanted to say. It was well past midnight, but he looked as… no, much fresher than when the sun was out in the sky. His hair, usually gathered in a ponytail, was now loose and swayed gently by the wind. Hubert had never noticed how long his hair was, not until now. It reached the small of his back and seemed to gleam in the dark of the night.

And his eyes… The beautiful amber of his irises glowed with something he could not identify.

“Hubert?”

“...Hm?”

“I asked why you are awake this late.”

Ferdinand approached him, and that forced him out of his trance. Hubert crossed his arms and fixed his gaze on the ocean, trying to ignore the other man’s presence.

“I could ask you the same.”

His attempts to appear indifferent were demolished by the redhead at a surprising velocity. Ferdinand stood right next to him, staring at the horizon with a lovely expression of fondness on his face, making their shoulders touch because of their proximity. He nearly jumped out of his skin at that.

“I could not fall asleep.”

Ferdinand’s clothes were unbelievably cold, as if they had just dried after getting wet. The sensation made him remember that time Ferdinand hugged him when Edelgard and he had almost drowned when they were kids. He gave no reply to his words, so Ferdinand resumed talking.

“I have always loved it.”

“Loved what?”

“The sound of the waves. It makes me feel at home… I feel like I will go mad if I spend too much time away from the sea.”

Silence.

“Well, that has already happened before.”

He turned his head slightly to look at the other.

“What?”

The brief laughter Ferdinand let out didn’t feel genuine. He didn’t look as if he found it funny. It seemed as if he was trying to conceal some profound sorrow.

“It is… a bit ridiculous, truly. Once, my father forbade me from going home.”

“...Do you mean when we were in high school?”

“Yes. I lived with my uncle at the time, but he found out that I failed a subject and… Did not let me come back home for holidays.”

Silence, once again.

“Why are you telling me this, Ferdinand?”

The redhead rested his head on Hubert’s shoulder. His hair was slightly wet, too.

“Because I trust you, Hubert.”

“...Really?”

“Do you not believe me?”

It wasn’t easy to answer that question, so he simply didn’t.

“You have been acting strange lately, Hubert.”

“I’ve been acting as I always do.”

“Do not try to lie to me.”

“Lie?...”

“You are not avoiding me, but you do not treat me as you used to before we came here. And, honestly, I miss it.”

“You are complaining just because you want attention, then?”

As soon as those words left his lips, he knew he had made a mistake. He felt Ferdinand’s body moving away from his own, and when he thought the other man was going to leave, he just stood in front of him but much, much closer this time. He even grabbed his shoulders, his grip light yet firm.

“I do not know what happened, or what I have done for you to treat me like this…”

“You have not done anyth—”

“Let me finish. I do not know what I have done for you to treat me like this, but I do not want us to keep going on like this. I… I want things to go back to normal, I want to talk to you as much as we used to.”

“...Why are you telling me this now?”

That only served to upset him more.

“What do you mean why?! You have been impossible to talk to since… Since…”

Ferdinand’s eyes widened, as though he had just realized something. Right after, he closed them for a few seconds, before opening them again and fixing his amber gaze on Hubert’s green one. His voice was much softer now — he sounded like he was afraid of breaking something inside the black-haired man if he didn’t address the topic carefully. 

“Hubert… Is this because I chose another roommate?”

“...”

“So it is that, is it not? No, look at me.”

He obeyed.

“Hubert, I did not choose to go with Yuri because I did not appreciate you, or because I did not want to be with you. It was just… convenient. I thought you would understand. I did not know that it would hurt your feelings.”

Ferdinand took his hands off from his shoulders.

“I am sorry.”

“...Ferdinand… don’t apologize. It’s not necessary. I understand that it was the most logical decision. I’m sorry if I acted like I didn’t.”

The taller man turned around, with the intention of going back to the dormitory.

“Hubert… I should have supposed that it would hurt you since I did not give you an explanation. You have always been so logical...”

He didn’t know what to expect from that conversation anymore.

“But I guess that it is part of your personal charm.”

Did. Did he just?...

“Good night, Ferdinand.”

“Good night, Hubert.”

He headed towards his room, trying to ignore the blush on his cheeks as he heard a laugh at his back. A laugh that, this time, did feel genuine.

* * *

After that conversation, it didn’t take long for their relationship to go back to normal. Now, they went to cafés together on a regular basis — and for some reason he could not comprehend, he always had to make Ferdinand’s order, apart from his own. They also spent every Saturday night talking for hours, losing track of time in each other’s company. This change wasn’t unnoticed by their friends. Even if Caspar, Petra, or Linhardt didn’t have much to say about it, Bernadetta was always willing to leave the room so they could be alone for a while, Edelgard supported everything from the distance, and Dorothea fervently insisted on knowing the “details”. He didn’t know why they were that supportive, since there was nothing to be supportive about. Maybe they got the wrong idea from the start, and now it was too late to clear it up.

Hell, even Claude asked them if they were dating, making Ferdinand’s face turn as red as the coat he was wearing. He recalled Ferdinand saying that it was his favorite piece of clothing, and he could understand why — it was fashionable and suited him extremely well. The only problem Hubert had with that coat was that every time he saw Ferdinand wearing it, he remembered the mermaid.

He expected that incredible sighting would happen only once, but that was far from reality. Unfortunately, his friends had taken a liking to go to the beach as much as they could. While Ferdinand didn’t use to go with them, giving him practically no reason to go, on many occasions Hubert could grasp the sight of that mythical creature’s crimson scales. It was almost as they were doing it on purpose. The worst part of it was that the mermaid seemed to head towards that cave, but only when the tide was starting to rise and they had to go back to the dorm. It wasn’t until a Saturday night — Ferdinand had told him that he needed to sleep, so he left early— that Hubert brought himself to go to the cave, chasing something he was now sure existed.

He entered the cave, almost hitting his head in the process thanks to the darkness. He waited there for minutes, but nothing happened at first. Suddenly, he perceived movement in the pool. He approached it and bent down, not getting too close to the border. He narrowed his eyes, trying to discern something in the pitch-black water. At that moment, the tail emerged and hit the water’s surface, abruptly splashing him. Getting angry at a mythological being was the most stupid thing he has done in a long time, but he took the hint — he wasn’t welcome there. He quit the cave at a quick pace, brows knitted and clothes soaked.

And what a surprise was to find that, once he was outside, the water almost reached his knees. The tide was already getting high but he had not noticed. He hurried up to leave the beach, telling himself that he would never return.

...But he did return, obviously. This time in the afternoon, during a surprisingly cold spring day. The tide was at his lowest elevation. He should be studying for his exams, but even Hubert knew that it was necessary to rest once in a while… and Bernadetta forced him to go outside to get fresh air, too. He did as told, ending up in the damned cave once more. He was staring at the middle of that place when he saw something, like the last time. And he got close, again.

And then he slipped on the wet rocks. Quite humiliating, to be honest.

He, just like Edelgard, had not learned how to swim. That experience from their childhood had a strong impression on him, up to the point where he promised himself that he would never go to the ocean for as long as he lived. That’s why he never considered learning how to swim a necessity, not even when he decided to apply to a university located on an island. He had not even planned to go to the beach.

His survival instinct — it was good to know that he had it — made him kick his legs trying to go back to the surface of the water, but his efforts were useless. The weight of his clothes dragged him deeper and deeper. He was starting to accept that he would die there when a pair of arms surrounded his waist.

In a matter of seconds, someone pulled him from the water and lied him down in the stone floor, oxygen returning to his lungs. When he overcame the shock and after a sudden coughing fit, he looked at his savior, who had his hands at each side of his head and was staring at him from above, his copper hair surrounding them like a curtain—

…

Copper hair?

“Hubert?! Are you alright?!”

“...Ferdi...nand?”

“Goddess, I almost had a heart attack when I saw you fall…”

“No, I’m okay… Wait.”

He realized something.

“When did you enter the cav—”

...Why was Ferdinand shirtless? Not only that, but drops of seawater also went down the shape of his chest. It was a sight he neither could nor wanted to look away from, but he used all his will to sit up anyway. That forced the other man to move and sit next to him, allowing Hubert to observe his body. His chest, his abdominals, his tail...

His tail. His tail?!

“Wait.”

That red color was identical to the one he had seen many other times. Similar to the rental van Ferdinand himself had chosen for them to get to the University. Similar to the color of his favorite coat.

“ **You **are the mermaid?”****

********

********

“Well… Yes. Yes, I am. I thought it was obvious.”

He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even know what to do. He just stared at the redhead, his mouth slightly open, contemplating his form as discreetly as he could.

That is, not discreetly at all. Ferdinand cleared his throat.

“This is the reason why I chose to be roommates with Yuri… You see, he is also—”

The mermaid with the whitish purple tail.

“Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes. To tell the truth, I am sorry you had to discover it this way... I had planned to tell you today, but...”

Okay, Ferdinand was a mermaid. The mermaid he had seen that day, the mermaid that had splashed— Wait.

“...You splashed me.”

It took the other man a few seconds to get what he was referring to, and when he did, his cheeks turned almost as red as his tail.

“The tide was rising and you did not look like you were to leave any time soon!”

“And couldn’t you tell me?”

“No! At least, not at that moment of time...”

Ferdinand averted his gaze from him, staring at the water for some seconds before looking at him again.

“I know this is a lot to process, but…”

“But?”

“...”

He seemed uneasy, even… afraid of what Hubert could say. He didn’t like seeing him like this.

“Ferdinand, you have nothing to worry about. I would never tell your secret for anything in the world. You know that.”

“Yes, yes, I know… Thank you, Hubert,”

As Ferdinand said those words, Hubert could hear how his voice softened. Seeing him take his hand without averting his eyes from his own, while a gorgeous smile appeared on his lips… It was almost too much for Hubert’s poor heart, that was pounding like it wanted to jump out of his chest to sing about how much love he felt for that man without hesitation.

“...You were going to tell me about this today?”

Ferdinand looked surprised at the question. His blush intensified and, for some reason, Hubert’s cheeks decided to mimic the color.

“This, and one more thing.”

“What thing?”

“...Do you really have no idea?”

No.

“No.”

The little sigh that escaped his lips was lovely as well. Either that or his emotions were gaining control of his mind.

“You are so dumb sometimes.”

“And why are you insulting me now?”

“No, do not get me wrong. You are one of the most observant people that I have ever met. You are intelligent, capable, and hard-working. You never let other people step on you, you have much more presence than what you are willing to admit, and you are not afraid of speaking your mind. And despite all of that, you still have no idea of what I have been trying to tell you since our last years in high school.”

And how was he supposed to answer that?

“Ferdinand?”

“You are… You are so caring towards your friends, so absolutely perfect with all your imperfections, so extremely attractive that—”

A. Attractive.

“Ferdinand, I don’t understand what—”

“What part do you not understand? I like you, you complete idiot !”

He had no time to react to that confession before he felt Ferdinand’s lips pressing against his own, with the determination of someone who had been trying to let him know about his feelings for years. And Hubert himself didn’t stay behind: once he got over the initial surprise and embarrassment, he placed a hand on the other man’s hips. His free hand found his way to Ferdinand’s wet hair and he ran his fingers through it, while deepening the kiss as much as possible. He had not realized how much he had longed for this until that same moment. He could have never imagined how perfect Ferdinand’s lips would feel against his, how eager those arms would move when surrounding his waist, how he would use his voice to express how much he liked the way he was kissing him.

With all that movement, they fell to the water once more, but this time Hubert wasn’t afraid. He didn’t even stop what he was doing.

He would never be afraid of the ocean ever again, not with Ferdinand at his side.

**Author's Note:**

> 1.- first of all, i created a twitter account for fanfics!! please follow me, i feel lonely (@asterscadenza).  
> 2.- english is not my first language, so one of my friends translated the whole thing. i helped her a little bit, but kudos to her nonetheless!  
> 3.- this is also my first time posting in ao3 so i don't know what im doing. sorry,
> 
> the week has already started and i only have four days written... this is sad. in any case, both comments and kudos are really appreciated! 
> 
> p.s : if you are asking yourself why im posting this now... in spain, it is still the first day.
> 
> EDIT : I JUST REALIZED I NEVER GAVE A NAME TO THE BEACH AND FORGOT TO CHANGE IT AKKSKSKSKS IM HAVING A HEART ATTACK


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